Adding decodables to Kids Read Now’s summer book selections is a powerful way to accelerate reading growth when students need it most. Decodable texts are intentionally aligned to the phonics skills children are learning, giving them immediate opportunities to apply sound–symbol knowledge in real reading experiences. That means less guessing and more confidence. By including high-quality, engaging decodables alongside trade books, Kids Read Now can strengthen foundational skills, reinforce classroom instruction, and support families in practicing reading at home with greater clarity and success. Our decodable partner, Tumbleweed Publishing, not only provides high-quality engaging decodables for home use, but also includes scope and sequence resources in every book allowing for effective use with summer tutoring staff. The result? More fluent readers, measurable skill gains over the summer months, and a program that meets children exactly where they are on their journey to literacy.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3 MARCH 2026 – TROY, OH
Kids Read Now is excited to announce its partnership with Tumbleweed Publishing to provide its first-ever set of decodable books to teachers and students. Decodables are books created for beginning readers as well as readers who need additional practice with specific phonics target skills. Tumbleweed’s decodable books are geared specifically toward students in Grades 2–6 who are reading below their current grade level. Tumbleweed’s books are 95 percent decodable, based on an explicit and systematic sequence of phonics skills.
Through the partnership, Kids Read Now will provide a carefully selected set of animal-themed Tumbleweed decodable books for students and teachers in grades 1-5. These books will be available for the summer of 2026.
“We are excited to introduce decodable books from Tumbleweed that give students meaningful opportunities to practice independent reading at-home,” said Kristen Walter, Ed.D, executive director of Kids Read Now. “These books will allow our students to apply the skills they learn in the classroom to their home reading routines, strengthening the connection between school and home literacy support, and helping students build reading accuracy, fluency, and automaticity. This partnership will allow both of our organizations to serve children and their families in a deeper way, growing skilled readers in the classroom and beyond.”
How It Works
Schools can enroll students in the Kids Read Now program for summer, fall, or winter. Schools are then provided with a catalog of over 150 titles to choose from, organized by reading level. Teachers can help students choose the books they want to read that are appropriate based on their reading proficiency. Two weeks after the books are selected, Kids Read Now begins the delivery of one book every 7–10 days. These books are shipped directly to the students’ homes. Teachers can log into the Kids Read Now data portal to check on students’ progress.
Independent research has shown that students who participate in Kids Read Now gain up to three months of reading progress over a single summer. This prevents summer learning loss and sets up students to start the next school year with improved reading skills.
For additional information about the programs offered by Kids Read Now, visit kidsreadnow.org.
About Tumbleweed Decodables
Tumbleweed decodable books are especially impactful for striving readers who may have learning challenges such as dyslexia, ADHD, or language disorders. The books are paired together on similar high-interest topics — both fiction and nonfiction — and include Read Alouds as well as structured literacy activities. Parents can easily guide children through the activities at the back of each book.
Tumbleweed’s three collections of 124 books are available for purchase by individuals or schools, with multiple configurations possible.
“We’re so excited to work with Kids Read Now to provide our high-quality decodable readers to students across the country through this partnership,” said Christina Rodriguez, CEO of Tumbleweed Publishing, LLC. “It aligns perfectly with our mission to help striving readers gain the skills and confidence to become lifelong readers.”
For more information about Tumbleweed’s offerings, visit tumbleweedpublishing.com.
